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9 Steps to Shipping Perishable and Temperature Control Items

ep 1: Schedule your mailing of frozen or refrigerated food for early in the week. Mailing perishables on Thursday or Friday can increase the risk of your perishables sitting in a warm warehouse over the weekend.

Step 2: Pack the frozen or refrigerated food into airtight containers to reduce the risk of spillage during shipping. Plastic containers with snap-on lids or plastic zip-top bags are ideal.

Step 3: Place the cold food into an insulated foam cooler to help the perishables maintain a constant temperature while the cooler is in the mail.

Step 4: Put on gloves and place a sealed container of dry ice on top of the frozen or refrigerated food, inside the cooler. Make sure the dry ice does not actually touch the food.

Step 5: Pack the top of the cooler with a layer of corrugated cardboard before securing the cooler lid.

Step 6: Place the entire cooler of cold food into a heavy-duty cardboard box. Fill empty spaces with packing peanuts to keep the contents from shifting and to keep the ambient temperature stable.

Step 7: Seal the box with packing tape and cover the box with another layer of insulation, such as brown kraft paper.

Step 8: Write two warnings on the box of frozen food with a permanent marker: “Contains dry ice” and “Perishables.”

Step 9: Bring your package of food to a shipping service that offers overnight shipping. Spring for delivery confirmation in the form of a signature to ensure a person has picked up the package on the other end.Don’t forget to check out our insulated box liners page in our online catalog – page 46.St